Tahoe Food Hub brings the farm to you in three unique locations. Chefs and farmers will work together to grow and prepare a four-course meal filled with seasonal produce and proteins. Guests can reserve tickets online for three evenings through September.

Bring an appetite and sense of adventure to three remote and beautiful North Lake Tahoe destinations from the wilderness to the beach to savor a feast through the Tahoe Food Hub's new pop-up farm dinner series, "Pitchfork & the Pan".

This Sunday, Aug. 20 marks the first pop-up dining soiree from the Sagehen Creek Field Station featuring a gourmet menu designed by chef Scott Yorkey, formerly of Jake's on the Lake.

Each of the pop-up feasts will feature menus created by chefs and farmers, who've worked together to grow and prepare a four-course meal especially for that evening.

"I really want people to walk away from the event feeling more connected to where their food comes from, more conscientious about the food they're eating and whether it's in season, where it's coming from, and how it's been grown," said Susie Stuphin, director of the Tahoe Food Hub.

Pitchfork & the Pan will raise funds for the Tahoe Food Hub to continue working its magic in helping create a local food system. Their efforts are designed to create a local marketplace for small farms to get a good price for their food, while bringing sustainable, healthy and local ingredients for patrons to enjoy.

The dinner series directly reflects Tahoe Food Hub's mission, as it is designed to connect people to the food they're eating, the farmers who produced it, and the chef who put it all together.

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"It's not just a sit down and eat kind of event, it's very thoughtful in its presentation. We introduce each course and talk about the food involved in creating that course," Stuphin explained.

Four courses will be served with seasonal produce and proteins, and dining guests will have the opportunity to meet the farmers who grow food, hear their story and celebrate in the harvest.

"The inspiration for the menu [this Sunday] is simply, 'It's summer'," said Yorkey, who is now a private chef around North Lake Tahoe and Truckee.

"We are creating each course from what's in season now. It is so easy to cook a great meal when you start with the best ingredients. All of the farmers that the Tahoe Food Hub works with bring us incredibly fresh and delicious products," he added.

Stuphin said the goal is to really get back to the roots of the popularized "farm to fork" dinner.

"You're that much closer to the source and impassioned by wanting to support more small farms, whether that's at a farmers market or restaurants that work with smaller farms. This event makes people more conscious in their food choices; it allows you to know the story and the people behind your food," she explained.

Tahoe Food Hub's mission as a nonprofit organization is to galvanize our community to build a regional, sustainable, and equitable food system. They increase access to nutritious, ecologically grown food by creating a network of regional farms within 100 miles of North Lake Tahoe, and connecting them to restaurants, small grocers, schools, and hospitals.

Through events like Pitchfork & the Pan, the Food Hub is spreading knowledge of sustainable agriculture through masterfully prepared dishes served at their pop-up dinners. Meeting the farmer and the chefs allow guests to more closely identify with their food in a culture where it has become easy to look past where neatly organized grocery store items originated.

"We take food for granted, and when we meet someone who makes it their life and their career I think it makes us respect our food more so we'll waste less. We'll value what it does not only for our bodies, but our environment and local food systems have a really big impact on our economy," Stuphin said.

Cassandra Walker is a features and entertainment reporter for the Sierra Sun. She can be reached at cwalker@sierrasun.com, 530-550-2654 or @snow1cass.

Pitchfork & the Pan Event Information

Tahoe Food Hub brings the farm to you in three unique locations. Chefs and farmers will work together to grow and prepare a four-course meal filled with seasonal produce and proteins. Guests can reserve tickets online for three evenings through September.